As an added bonus: the X1's give the top of my right ear a massage when there is a lot of bass. I understand that some feel the cloth speaker cover touching their ear and that this is normal. Right?

I'm using this headphone out of the Creative Sound Blaster Z and I really like it. It has been absolutely fantastic for music and games.

Question: I usually have the windows volume slider at about 10 because everything above that is way too loud. I've been controlling the volume level from my keyboard, but sometimes I can't get the right volume level in certain situations. I've read, and have been told, that using an inline volume control can degrade the sound so I have started looking at amps (a bit silly since the Sound Blaster Z has a amp in it already) since they can be used to control the volume. So, thoughts to a good pairing for the X1?

As an added bonus: the X1's give the top of my right ear a massage when there is a lot of bass. I understand that some feel the cloth speaker cover touching their ear and that this is normal. Right?

I'm using this headphone out of the Creative Sound Blaster Z and I really like it. It has been absolutely fantastic for music and games.

Question: I usually have the windows volume slider at about 10 because everything above that is way too loud. I've been controlling the volume level from my keyboard, but sometimes I can't get the right volume level in certain situations. I've read, and have been told, that using an inline volume control can degrade the sound so I have started looking at amps (a bit silly since the Sound Blaster Z has a amp in it already) since they can be used to control the volume. So, thoughts to a good pairing for the X1?

I've been using new cables for the X1 from Forza Audioworks (http://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=34) for the past couple of weeks. Production and delivery from Poland to the U.S. was very fast and should in no way be a deterrent to buying. Matthew from Forza was great and promptly responded to all my questions.

Very high build quality. Looks as nice as the stock cable but the bass sounds crisper and less bloaty as should be expected from low resistance cables. There is a small amount of microphonics when the cable rubs against itself -- more than the stock cables but not as bad as I've experienced with other third party cloth-sleeved cables like Auvio. Cable is also very pliable.

I got the version with the right angle plug. Although not shown in the pictures, lately I've been connecting the right angle plug to the headphone to avoid having the plug sticking out of the headphone so much and sometimes touching my shoulder when I turn my head.

I'm happy to say I'm done with my cable quest (tried stock cable, Mediabridge, Auvio (Radioshack) and Belkin). Granted, the Forza's are pricier than the cables being sold at Amazon or Radioshack that we've all been talking about but I'll say they're well worth the money. Highly recommended!

It pains me to sell these, as they are basically the ultimate headphone for my preference in sound, but I have an aversion for specific frequencies in the mid bass section which I can't handle, even off headphones with less bass, like the AKG Q701. The X1 hits me right where it induces headaches. This is a PERSONAL, so don't think it'd be a problem for the rest of you. I've used headphones with much stronger mid bass which don't bother me.

I've been battling with that bass fatigue since I've bought the X1, but it's won the battle.

I'm sticking with my Sony MA900. Even if I ever decide on something better down the line, the MA900 is gonna stay with me due to it's low cost, ultimate comfort, and great gaming performance. It's gonna be my staple.